Lancaster



(No Model.) I C. L. CLARKE 8c J. LEIGH.

APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRIOITY.

No; 261,677; Patented July 25, 1882.

FIG:2. FIG:5.

FIG .1.

UNITED. STATES PATENT CHARLEs L. CL RKE AND JOHN LEIGH, 0F MANCHESTER, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR LlGHTlN-G "GAS BY ELECTRICITY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 261,677, dated July 25, 1882. Application filed March .20, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, UHARLES LEIGH CLARKE and JOHN LEIGH, both residingin Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, and subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented Improvements in the Construction of Apparatus for Lighting Gas by Electricity, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements upon the apparatus for-which a patent of the United States of America, dated 26th April, 1881,No. 240,661, has been granted to us, our said invention consisting of improvements in the construction and arrangement of the various parts, whereby the same is made much more portable and handy, it can be placed orkept in any position without detriment, the strength of the battery cannot be exhausted by continued pressure on the button or pusher, and the battery, when exhausted, can readily be replaced by another.

The various improvements will be clearly understood on reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and the following description thereofthat is to say- V v Figure 1 is an external elevation of our improved electric gas-1i gh ter ready for use, drawn about half-size. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same with the three main parts or portions unscrewed from each other, and Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detached views (drawn full size) of various parts of the same.

In the first place, we make our improved electric gas-lighter in a tubular form, the easing a a, being in three pieces attached together by screwing, and comprising, first, the battery A; secondly, the induction-coil B and contactbreaker B, and, thirdly, the lighting-tube O, with its terminal points and guard. These three parts are so constructed and arranged that the mere act of screwing them together establishes the necessary metallic comm uuicav tion between the various parts necessary for the development of the electric current. The screws at b b and c c are out true to one gage, sothat the parts are interchangeable, and when the battery A becomes exhausted a fresh battery can be substituted by merely unscrewing 'ject of a separate petition for patent bearing the same date as the present) we make in a cylindrical form, and of the peculiar construction described in the specification and shown on the drawings annexed to the said petition.

The induction-coil B may be of the ordinary construction; but we prefer to make it as described in the specification of Letters Patent granted .to us in Great Britain, datedJune 1, 188 No. 2,229, and for which we have also filed a petition fora patent in the United States of America, such petition hearing date 'the8th day of April, 1881, the condenser D being placed round it.

The contact-breaker B, (see Fig. 5,) which we employ to make and break contact, is fixed on the lowerend of the-induction-coil, and is constructed :as folowsrThe framing of the conitactabreaker .isformed of two plates, d d, of viulcaniteor other suitable material, united by metal pillars e e.

The buttonorrpusher ff is connected to a spring, 9 g, which carries a small two-armed catch, it it, one arm, h, of whichpushes against the vibrateri t. As the button f f is pushed home the second arm, h, of the catch comes against a fixed pin, k, which causes the catch tooscillate and cause the first arm, h, to slip from the vibrator it, thus setting it vibrating, so as to make and break contact. As soon as the button f f is released the spring 9 g returns to its original position without touching the vibrator, and the second arm, h, of the catch, coming against a second fixed pin, k, replaces the first arm, h, in a position to act on the vibrator t i as soon as a fresh pressure is given to the button or pusher ff. By the use of this arrangement it will be evident that it will not be possible to exhaust the battery A by keeping pressure on the button or pusher ff, as each separate pressure only causes two or three vibrations, sufficient to produce a spark at the end of the terminal wires of a duration long enough to light a jet of gas, and no further effect is produced by keeping the pressure of the thumb or finger longer on the button or pusher ff before releasing it.

The lighting-tube G is screwed onto the uptheoldoneandscrewing on afresh one in its, place. This battery A (which forms the sub- Y per end of the case above the induction-coil,

the requisite metallic connection being made by means of springs Z Z to which the ends of the wires are connected. The terminal points at m are near to the top of this tube, slots or openings being cut or formed in the latter to allow of the access'ot' the gas to the induced spark formed at the end of the terminal wires, when electrical contact is established at the same time that it forms a perfect guard against accidental shocks.

The way in which the metallic connections are established by simply screwing the parts A, B, and G together is shown at Figs. 3, 4, 6, and 7, Fig. 3 showing the underneath of the cap at the bottom of the lighting-tube, Fig. 4 the top of the coil, Fig. 6 the under side of the contactbreaker, and Fig. 7 the top of the battery. One of the elements of the battery is electrically connected with the insulated metallic ring a, while the other is connected to the metallic plug 0, Fig. 7. When the battery A and the induction-coil B are screwed together the contact-spring l bears on the ring a, while the spring contact-finger Z bears on the plug 0, this finger l being connected to the point 'i of the circuit-breaking device. The spring Z is electrically connected to one of the posts 0, Fig. 5, to which is secured one of the terminal wires, 2, of the inner coils, the other terminal, 1, of the inner coils being connected to the post carrying the vibrator i. This wire 1 and the contact-point 43 are connected by wires 3 and 4, Fig. 5, respectively, to the condenser D, Fig. 2, which we have shown as wrapped around the induction-coil B. The terminals of the outer coils are connected to spring contact-fingers l l,

the former of which comes into contact with the end of the wire of one of the sparkingpoints m when the tube 0 is screwed on the casecontaining the batteryA, while the springfinger Z bears on the metallic screw-cap carrying the tube (3, and the sparking-point m is in contact with this tube.

We claim as our invention- 1. An electric gas-lighting apparatus made in three detachable sections with screw-connections, whereby they are adapted to screw together, the adjoining ends of the detachable sections having corresponding contact-fin gers, substantially as described, whereby the requisite metallic connections between the sections are established by simply screwing the parts together.

2. An electric gas-lighting apparatus consisting of three detachable sections adapted to be screwed together to form one portable instrument, one section composed of a tube carrying the terminal sparking points, the middle section carrying the induction-coil, condenser, and circuit-breaker, and the third section comprising the battery, all substantially as described.

3. A portable gas-lighting apparatus consisting of an induction-coil, condenser, sparkin g-points, and circuit-breaker, with a battery, A, detaehably secured to the induction-coil casing by a screw-ring, c, the said casing and battery having corresponding contact-points to form electrical connections when the bat;

tery is screwed to the casing.

4. An electric gas-lighting device having a circuit-breaker consisting of a contact-point and vibrator, with a push-spring, two-armed catch carried by the spring, and two'stop-pins, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

cHAs. L. CLARKE. oen LEIGH.

Witnesses:

JOHN HUGHES, W. BOLSOVER. 

